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Family: Tom Petty died of accidental drug overdose
AP via The Sacramento Bee ^ | January 19th, 2018 | Unattributed

Posted on 01/19/2018 4:56:07 PM PST by Mariner

NEW YORK - Tom Petty's family says his death last year was due to an accidental drug overdose.

His wife and daughter released the results of Petty's autopsy via a statement on his Facebook page Friday night. Dana and Adria Petty say they got the results from the coroner's office earlier in the day that the overdose was caused due to a variety of medications.

The statement was posted moments before the Los Angeles coroner's office issued its official findings, which confirmed that Petty had a variety of medications, including fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.

They say Petty suffered from emphysema, a fractured hip and knee problems that caused him pain but he was still committed to touring.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: addiction; heartbreakers; music; opioids; petty; tom; tompetty; tompettyautopsy; tpandheartbreakers
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One of the truly great American songwriters, lost to opioids.
1 posted on 01/19/2018 4:56:07 PM PST by Mariner
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To: Mariner

Had a feeling he literally killed himself to go out on that last tour.


2 posted on 01/19/2018 4:57:40 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Mariner
I was wondering what the cause might be. During my long life, I was prescribed painkillers at several times. I almost never took them because they warned not to take them with alcohol.

I preferred the alcohol. So I left the painkillers in the medicine cabinet and sipped on my wine or beer.

For better, or for worse.

3 posted on 01/19/2018 4:58:31 PM PST by SamAdams76
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To: Mariner

Fentanyl???

Isn’t this the drug/chemical that’s killing LEO’s and LEO K-9’s, at drug busts???

Dangerous stuff.

Sad.


4 posted on 01/19/2018 4:59:17 PM PST by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
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To: SamAdams76

Yep...for family member’s who’ve recently had surgery....I’ve strongly recommended/insisted no pain meds after 2 days home. Switch to Advil/tylenol, etc. Or...wine....if necessary “-)


5 posted on 01/19/2018 5:00:51 PM PST by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
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To: Jane Long

“Isn’t this the drug/chemical that’s killing LEO’s and LEO K-9’s, at drug busts?”

Wouldn’t be happening if we had a wall.


6 posted on 01/19/2018 5:04:36 PM PST by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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>>Tom’s autopsy report shows the singer was on several pain meds, including Fentanyl patches, oxycodone (Oxycontin), temazepam (Restoril), alprazolam (Xanax), citalopram (Celexa), acetyl fentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl.

Was there no one, including himself, that didn’t see this as a bad idea?


7 posted on 01/19/2018 5:07:03 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: Jane Long

“Isn’t this the drug/chemical that’s killing LEO’s and LEO K-9’s, at drug busts???”

Yes, and no. I’m pretty sure Tom Petty wouldn’t be buying street heroin cut with Fentanyl that is made in powder form. If taken correctly and under the supervision of a doctor it’s a fine pain killer and taken transdermally with a patch changed every 2-3 days. Has side effects like any opioid and is strong, that’s why the doses are so low.

If he took additional pain killers on top of it and wasn’t paying close attention he probably took too much.


8 posted on 01/19/2018 5:07:09 PM PST by Fuzz
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To: Jane Long

Whoops, just read post 7. He apparently had some of the Fentanyl that is found on the streets in his system as well. That is strange.


9 posted on 01/19/2018 5:09:52 PM PST by Fuzz
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To: Jane Long

That’s Carfentanil.
100 times more deadly.

A dear friend is a K9 state trooper and I pray for him and his wonderful drug dog every day.

:’(


10 posted on 01/19/2018 5:09:56 PM PST by Salamander (And Ezekiel Smiles Again....)
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To: D-fendr
This was Tom Petty's last song performed at his very last concert just a week before his death on September 25.

It was his signature song "American Girl".

Must say he was looking a little peaked. Not at his best.

Always one of my favorite rock performers. I was 17 when "Damn The Torpedoes" came out and I was hooked.

Since his death, I've listened quite a bit to the Tom Petty channel on Sirius/XM. Just an amazing body of work.

11 posted on 01/19/2018 5:15:16 PM PST by SamAdams76
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To: Fuzz
He apparently had some of the Fentanyl that is found on the streets in his system as well. That is strange.

No. Fentalyl patches proscribed by a doctor.

12 posted on 01/19/2018 5:17:07 PM PST by MD Expat in PA
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To: Mariner

fentanyl and oxycodone

That’l do it alright.


13 posted on 01/19/2018 5:18:08 PM PST by choctaw man (Good ole Andrew Jackson, or You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma...)
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To: Jane Long

I had three abdominal surgeries in 2 years. They prescribed me painkillers after each one. I took one when I got home after the first surgery, and decided I didn’t like the way they made me feel. I didn’t enjoy feeling groggy and drugged. Threw the bottle away, and never used any of the scripts they gave me after the other two surgeries. How people can take those on a regular basis and feel good is beyond me.


14 posted on 01/19/2018 5:21:25 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: Mariner

Sad story. He should have had that hip taken care of.


15 posted on 01/19/2018 5:31:01 PM PST by dennisw (The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong)
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To: D-fendr
Was there no one, including himself, that didn’t see this as a bad idea?

Pain meds, even opioid pain meds can be a God send for people in excruciating pain, especially for post-operative pain or for some late stage cancer patients, but they can also be very dangerous, especially when taken in combinations.

I read that Petty had become addicted to heroin in the late 90’s after the breakup of his 20-year marriage but went to rehab and beat it.

Of course he (Petty) should have known the danger but then again if one is in excruciating pain as he may have been with a broken hip and other ailments, they don’t always think straight or rationally.

But with is past history of drug addiction, why would any competent doctor proscribe so many different opioids at the same time, assuming it was one doctor who did and there wasn’t “doctor shopping” going on. Former addicts, even after years of being clean, often have a high tolerance for pain meds and tend to take more because they need more just to alleviate the pain or make it manageable, but of course are a high risk of overdosing and so need a lot of moderating and oversight.

16 posted on 01/19/2018 5:31:11 PM PST by MD Expat in PA
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To: D-fendr

“Was there no one, including himself, that didn’t see this as a bad idea?”

Emphysema, Opioids and Benzodiazapines (Xanax) is known to be a CERTAIN killer.

Without a respirator (rescue), certain death.

And I’m sure Petty knew that.


17 posted on 01/19/2018 5:31:16 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: D-fendr

“Was there no one, including himself, that didn’t see this as a bad idea?”

Sure, but Petty said he will not back down.


18 posted on 01/19/2018 5:32:49 PM PST by Joe Dallas
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To: SamAdams76

Agree, didn’t love it all but that’s always the case. His Buried Treasure show was always great. Now I think it should become Stevie Nicks and the Heartbreakers.

Yeah, I’ve thought about the irony of the band’s name too.


19 posted on 01/19/2018 5:33:43 PM PST by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust Sessions. The Great Awakening is at hand...MAGA!)
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To: Mariner

TMZ COMMENTS>>>>>>>>

With this many opioids there has to be more than one doc, as no single doc would give so many.

But this is not just medical misadventure. As of May, 2015, acetyl fentanyl has been as illegal as LSD. No recognized med uses. Total street opioid. Never was otherwise, at least in the US.
___________________
Do you understand no one needs that many opiates not to mention the bentos for that level of pain. Cancer pts don’t need that much, certainly not someone with a fractured hip. Tom went out just like Prince. Unfortunate, even tragic, but prescription med abuse is what killed both of them.


20 posted on 01/19/2018 5:38:02 PM PST by dennisw (The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong)
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